Dennard followed up with another Tweet to Burkland saying that redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler O'Connor had been looking to secure extra tickets.

There was more from the Twitter trail suggesting O'Connor will see his first regular-season action against South Florida at noon on Saturday in Spartan Stadium (TV: ESPNU).

The proof was deleted — very quickly — from O'Connor's Twitter account yesterday, after he tweeted these two words: "Locked In.''

Presumably, O'Connor will be more locked in than he was in the Green-White Spring Game at Spartan Stadium in April, when he was a cumulative 3-of-7 passing for 59 yards and two interceptions after being given the thankless task of having to play for both teams.

O'Connor, who has not been allowed to speak to the media since Aug. 12, knows the spring game didn't leave the best impression with the Michigan State fan base.

His fall scrimmage statistics were impressive, but they became overshadowed by the emergence of true freshman Damion Terry.

O'Connor, by far, has received the least attention of the four quarterbacks engaged in what Coach Mark Dantonio has refers to as a four-horse race.

The disappointing spring game, while not a distraction, has been a minor annoyance to O'Connor.

"In the end, no one really sees what happens every day in practice, (but) it's something that sticks with you for a while, knowing that's what everyone thinks of you,'' O'Connor said in his Aug. 12 interview. "In the end, it's how I perform every day.

"The coaches have told me I had a very good spring, they told me the spring game isn't a true testament to how that went, but that's probably the public's perception, but you let them think what they want to think. All I can do is ask for an opportunity to perform in front of them again and show what I can do, so whatever they want to think, that's fine, but I do feel confident in my ability.''

Consider: The Bulls were last in the NCAA in interceptions last season (2), are breaking in two new cornerbacks and have an athletic and active defensive.

O'Connor's skill set -- he's very mobile with a strong, accurate arm -- makes him a logical choice.

"I feel like I have a playmaking edge, I really do,'' O'Connor said nearly a month ago. "Not to sound conceited or anything, when things break down, I feel like I can make plays. I really feel when things break down, I can slide up in the pocket and escape the pocket and not make that perfect fundamentally sound play, whether it's pitching the ball upfield or spinning or whatever it is, I feel I can do that more than the other guys.

"There's a stat, that like 70 percent of plays don't go exactly how you planned, whether it's a straight five-step drop and hitch, what if you don't get that hitch? It's something you're not planning on and something you have to be prepared (for), and that's where playmaking and athletic ability comes in, because you can't prepare for everything.''

Some might wonder how O'Connor will handle facing a strong South Florida defensive line, but as he pointed out, he spent all of last season facing Michigan State's Big Ten-best defense.

"I went against them five days a week last year, every day,'' O'Connor said. "I think the biggest thing in the spring, those were my first 15 practices with our offense. So it was like my first reps doing things. Now I feel like we've been (in fall camp) three weeks already.

"It's a comfort level, the command level in the huddle, the leadership, I feel like it's night and day compared (to) last year,'' he said. "If someone's sulking in the huddle, I can grab them and say 'it's my huddle,' and things like that. In the spring it wasn't there. It just wasn't.''

So now the moment is apparently upon O'Connor, and he'll have the opportunity to show more than 70,000 fans at Spartan Stadium why he assessed himself so confidently when asked to compare himself to Maxwell and Cook.

"I do feel like I can make all the plays they can make, and even more,'' O'Connor said. "It's the consistency factor that I really have to work on. Go out and make a play, and maybe wow some coaches and players, but it's doing it consistently.''